


Deadliest

by SharonSharpe



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), Deadly Class (TV)
Genre: Angst, AvaLance, Endgame Sara Lance/Ava Sharpe, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2020-06-29 22:07:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19839460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharonSharpe/pseuds/SharonSharpe
Summary: Ava Sharpe is sent to a high school for the brightest and deadliest students. Will her unwavering desire to protect everyone lead to her downfall or will the students rally behind a newfound leader?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I love the idea of bringing the Deadly Class world to Legends. I hope you enjoy the ride as well.

Crack!

The sound of the fist connecting with her nose resounded in her ears as she crashed to the floor again. A flurry of boots followed that she tried to block the best she could with her hands. Her body involuntarily curled into a ball shielding her already bruised ribs from the onslaught of kicks that rained down endlessly.

“Know your place rat,” the tallest of the girls shouted, wiping her bloodied knuckles against Ava’s shirt.

Just as quickly as they had swarmed on her, the group of girls left when they heard the sound of heavy footsteps against the concrete floor. Ava pushed herself up on her elbow, managing to lift herself partially off the ground before a pair of strong hands hoisted her up fully.

“Thanks, Z,” Ava winced, holding her hand against her side.

“Let’s get you back so Ray can patch you up. What were you thinking of picking a fight with the Furies?” Zari chastised, slowly leading Ava down the corridor.

“They were ganging up on that Mona kid again.”

“Mona is dating that huge Hawaiian dude. What’s his name?”

“Konane.”

“Yeah. Him. Personally, I think he needs a shave, but if she likes it,” Zari shrugged.

“I couldn’t just let her get beat up.”

“She let you get beat up.”

“Yeah. Well, I knew I could take it.”

They rounded the corner and Zari propped Ava against the wall as she knocked on a cement door with a pulsing blue light coming from underneath.

“You have to start looking out for yourself Ava, no one else is going to,” Zari said knocking.

A few seconds later, the door opened, and a black-haired girl stepped from inside. She came up short, her eyes wide as they met Zari’s. Zari smirked and casually stepped out of the way so that the other girl could pass. Immediately after the girl was gone, Ray Palmer strode to the door, his hair tousled and a noticeable sheen of sweat on his brow. Zari pushed herself off the wall, wrapped her arm around Ava once more and helped the slightly taller blonde inside.

“Your shirt is inside out Casanova,” Zari teased as she helped Ava lay down on the small couch in the room.

Ray blushed hard, the redness creeping up his neck and coloring his entire face. He tugged off the shirt, put it on correctly, and went to grab the first aid kit from his room. Ava stared up at the ceiling, her eyes focused on tracing the thin lines racing across the concrete. She took a tentative shuddering breath, taking note of the slight hitch in her breath. One week. One week since her father sent her to this god forbidden school. One week since the last time she had gotten beaten up upon her arrival to the boarding school. One week since she had been picked up off the floor by Zari the first time after crossing paths accidentally with the group of students that called themselves The League. One week since Ray had patched up the bruised ribs, now purpling all over again on top of the yellowing skin that was already there. One week since her father had abandoned her here with the warning that the family was counting on her. One week since her father sentenced her to hell.

Her thoughts came streaking back to the present when Ray pressed against her ribs. She choked down the hiss of pain that almost escaped. Ray’s eyes were bright with sympathy as he placed the icepack against her ribs and moved his attention to the blood drying from her nose.

“It’s not broken,” he said, his eyes unable to meet hers.

“I’m okay Ray,” Ava assured, pressing her hand to his.

“I could ask Nora to take you in.”

“No. I’ll be okay. I don’t need a gang to survive.”

“It’s not really a gang. More like a guild.”

“Of students that kill each other for the advancement of their parent's power.”

“Well, when you put it that way…” Ray trailed off as his phone vibrated.

He reached down, reading the message before racing over to his door and rapidly typing out a series of codes into the panel next to his door.

“What’s going on, Ray?” Zari asked, munching on the bag of chips she had found in the small kitchenette.

“The League is looking for Ava,” Ray gulped.

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Nora just overheard them talking about looking for the new blonde rat.”

Ava rolled her eyes. The gangs at the school were probably the worst part of being here. Her father had sent her here in the hopes of being welcomed into a guild on the outside. He was wrong. His power was laughable, and Ava was quickly placed into the category of a rat. A rat was a nobody. An outsider. A liability. A pest to be exterminated.

A knock vibrated against the door, followed by a gruff voice.

“Open up Haircut,” a gruff grunt sounded from the other side.

Ray swallowed hard, his eyes going wide. Zari’s hand strayed to the switchblade on her side. Hissing Ava stood to her feet, dropping the icepack onto the couch and making her way over to the door. Ray stepped in front of her, but Ava gently pushed him out the way. Zari stood off her shoulder as she nodded to Ray, and he unlocked the door.

Ava came up short when her eyes met the bright blues that she had seen in the rainy courtyard a week ago. The hair that had been dark with rain was clearly blonde, a sprinkle of freckles dotting the face of the girl staring back at her. For a second, her eyes darted to the large bald boy standing behind the blonde, his eyes dark and focused on Zari. They returned quickly to the much shorter blonde who was casually tossing a knife in her hand.

“You,” Ava smiled slightly, “how are you?”

“Tell your father Ras Al-Ghul is not to be toyed with,” the blonde stated simply.

Ava saw the punch too late as the blonde’s fist connected with her already bruised body. The floor came up to meet her as the girl and boy walked away. Zari moved to go after them, but Ray stopped her short with a steady hand on her shoulder. Ava gasped out a breath, clutching her side, her eyes looking up to the blonde who chanced a look back. For just a moment, sympathy flickered in the bright blues, before being replaced again by indifference.

“I hate this fucking school,” Ava groaned as Zari lifted her to her feet again.

“Was that her?” Zari asked.

Ava nodded as Ray closed the door behind him and she walked over to the couch, passing out immediately afterward.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for class, but at the academy pop quizzes can be deadly

She was late. It was the only thought racing through her mind as her feet pounded against the cold concrete floor as she made her way down into the underbelly of the school. Fear raced through her as she could already hear the thwack of bo staffs. The class was already warming up which meant she would be reprimanded for her tardiness. She slowed, taking her time to strip out of the starched uniform and into her gym clothes. A hiss escaped her lips as she covered the already fading bruises from the fight a few days prior. Since her run in with the Furies and the League, Ava had tried to lay low. Instead of hanging out in the courtyard how she usually did she had cocooned herself in her room or in the library with Zari and Ray. The break from constantly looking over her shoulder had been welcome, but the break from the chaos also meant the missed alarm that created her current predicament. 

Once she was dressed, she took a long shuddering breath and stepped out into the gym. As she expected her classmates were already sparring with each other under the watchful eye of Professor Savage. Mona, the girl she had saved from the Furies attack was standing off to the side, her eyes watching the fighters in front of her. The much smaller girl wasn’t from a powerful family, but she had proven herself a valuable asset to Konane and his gang on multiple occasions. She studied people, and rumor had it she had gotten in by bringing the admissions staff to near tears from her assessment. 

Like a hawk targeting its prey Professor Savage turned on Ava, a sickening grin spread across his face. 

“Ms. Sharpe. Kind of you to finally join us. Would you like to explain your tardiness to the class?” He sneered. 

“No, sir,” Ava replied, her chin tilted upward to look him in the eyes. 

“Pity. An explanation may have saved you from your punishment.” 

Ava stilled her features into a stoic gaze, preventing herself from rolling her eyes. There was no way she was going to escape punishment. There was no mercy at this school. Savage motioned for everyone to clear the floor. The only sound that filled the room were his footfalls as he made his way over to the rack of bo staffs. Ava stared straight ahead past the gaze of her classmates. Some of them wore excited smiles on their faces to see the punishment that would befall her. While others looked on in what could only be described as pity or maybe it was the fear of knowing a mistake like this could have been their own. 

Savage returned a moment later after sliding two long metal bo staffs from the rack. 

“Sharpe,” he said, tossing one of them to Ava. 

Ava caught it smoothly with one hand before slamming the tip down against the floor. The metallic echo of the motion filled the room for a moment, before silence took over once more. 

“Since Ms. Sharpe feels that she doesn’t need as much practice as the rest of us. I will allow her to show her apparent skill and mastery of the staff,” Savage paused for a moment, the smile returning to his face, “Ms. Al-Ghul.” 

Ava swallowed hard but kept her face stoic at the name. A dark-haired girl that Ava had only seen twice now stepped forward out of the circle. The raven haired girl took the offers staff from Savage and stepped into Ava’s line of view. No emotion shone back in her eyes. When Ava arrived at the school, Nyssa Al-Ghul was the first name that she had learned. The Al-Ghuls were a notorious family at the school and outside. Ras was one of the one of the founding members of the academy, so it was no surprise that his daughter now ran the most feared gang on the campus. 

“To first blood,” Savage nodded, stepping back to join the circle. 

Ava’s fingers curled around the staff as she and Nyssa bowed to each other. Nyssa took a step back, smoothly twirling the staff in her hand to find its center before sinking down into her stance. Ava sank into her own stance, which she was sure was sloppier than the girl in front of her. Ava was a boxer, a grappler, and one hell of a shot; but staffs were not her strong suit. 

In a flash Nyssa’s staff came crashing into her view. Ava dodged to her left, her own staff coming up to block the next blow. Metal clanged against metal as they fought back and forth. Nyssa worked her back towards the crowd of students in a flurry of hits, before sweeping her legs from underneath her. Ava crashed to the floor, her bo staff just out of reach. She lunged for it just as the bo staff came down once more, connecting with her already bruised ribs. Ava’s breath left in a rush as she fell forward onto her hands. Her gaze rose to the circle of students, pausing on the blonde at the edge of the circle. The same blonde from the courtyard. The same blonde who had sent the warning for the League. Bright blues eyes met her own, but instead of the indifference that she had expected, the girl’s eyes were full of...anger. 

Ava was brought out of her musing by the sound of the bo cutting through the air. She dropped to the ground the staff going harmlessly over her. In seconds her own staff was back in her hand and she launched to her feet. 

“Just give up Sharpe. You shouldn’t even be here. Your pathetic and weak just like your father.” Nyssa smirked. 

Anger crashed over Ava like a wave. A scream ripped from her throat as she lunged toward Nyssa. The staffs crashed together over and over. Ava kicked out, connecting with Nyssa’s stomach. The unexpected move threw the girl off her guard enough that Ava was able to sweep her feet from underneath her. Nyssa’s bo clattered against the ground and Ava took her opportunity to send the bo crashing toward the girl’s head. 

“Enough,” Savage’s voice cut through Ava’s rage. 

The staff was inches from Nyssa’s face. Ava huffed and took a step back, putting the staff back at her side. Nyssa stood to her feet her eyes dark with rage of her own. Savage dismissed them to spar with their partners. The rest of the class passed without incident, but Ava could feel Nyssa’s gaze boring into her back. 

Once class was finished Ava grabbed her things and left without showering. She couldn’t risk a run in with the League isn’t he showers. As the other girls showered and talked she slid out of the room and made her way back up towards her room and her own shower. The vestiges of anger still skittered down her spine as she put distance between herself and Nyssa Al-Ghul. She didn’t relax again until the resounding thud and snick of the lock on her door clicked into place. 

“I was beginning to think they killed you roomie,” the British accent of her roommate cut across the room. 

“I’ve been here every day. You’re the one who has been MIA, Charlie.” 

“Right,” Charlie shrugged taking another swig from the bottle in her hand. 

Charlie was the one bright spot about being at this school. Aside from Zari and Ray of course. Unlike Ava Charlie’s family was respected at the school. Charlie’s family was deep in MI6. Her father had been an agent for nearly twenty years before going rogue and joining up with Ras to create the school. Charlie could care less about any of the stature her name created for her. Instead she had created a name for herself and to most students she was known as the shapeshifter. Using her abilities she was able to blend in with any group of people, which allowed her to collect intel that others didn’t have access to. On a personal note, Charlie’s zest for life was contagious to everyone around her. If Ava wasn’t constantly watching over her shoulder she could have enjoyed it more. 

“I’m taking a shower. Z is supposed to come over so if you’ll let her in for me,” Ava said entering her room. 

“Z? Your hot hacker friend?” 

“What?” 

“Nothing. I’ll let her in,” Charlie smiled, leaning back against the couch again. 

Ava closed her bedroom door behind her, allowing herself to fully relax since bolting from this same room earlier that morning. Her bed still lay unmade in front of her, the disorganized chaos she had created in her rush spread out around her. She threw her bag onto the bed and stripped out of her clothes, adding them to the mess already on the floor. A chill settled on her skin as she stepped into her bathroom and turned on the shower full blast. Steam slowly filled the room, the warmth stripping away the final vestiges of sleep that clung to her tired body. Ava stepped underneath the scalding hot water. She grit her teeth as the water stung the raw skin along her ribcage. For a moment she just stood under the torrent of water, letting her mind drift from memory to memory. The courtyard flooded into her memory. 

She had gone out that night to clear her head. A storm raged outside, the torrential rains beat on her from all angles as she had stepped outside. Now underneath the shower she was reminded of the water that had soaked through her clothes almost instantly. She had been staring out across the expanse of nothingness that made up the rest of the schoolyard when she heard the crying. It was then that she had turned and saw the other girl. The blonde, her hair dark from the rain, tears mixing with the water streaming down her face. It was then that Ava saw…

“Ava!” Zari’s voice broke her out of the memory. 

Sputtering Ava wiped water from her face and turned off the water. She wrapped a towel around her waist and exited her room to find Zari perched on the edge of her bed eating a donut. 

“Heard you beat up Nyssa Al-Ghul this morning,” Zari said through a mouthful of dough. 

“You heard wrong, Z.” 

“Don’t be modest. Nyssa is a legend and from what I heard and saw you put her on her ass.” Zari added holding up a video of Ava’s sparring session from earlier. 

“How did?” 

“We live in the 21st century, cameras are everywhere.” 

Ava rolled her eyes and began searching for clothes. She didn’t have much that wasn’t her school uniform. Her father was a higher level drug dealer but he was terrible at managing money. She settled on a pair of jeans and a plain black long-sleeve shirt. She snorted when she turned to see Zari covering her eyes as she dressed. 

“I have on pants,” Ava teased, as she stood in the mirror looking at the bruises on her ribs. 

“Do they feel better? They look better,” Zari remarked. 

“Yeah. It’s fine.” Ava slipped on her shirt and threw on a brown leather jacket on top of it. 

“That’s what you’re wearing.” 

“The class is about blending in.” 

“Right. Let’s go. You know Professor Pemberton hates tardiness.” 

Ava nodded and threw a few items into her bag before following Zari out of her room. Charlie was now dressed in a black dress and red leather jacket. She had pulled her hair up into a curled Mohawk. Ava couldn’t help but smile when she noticed Zari had frozen in her tracks watching as Charlie applied lipstick in the mirror by the door. 

“You lot ready to go?” Charlie asked, picking up her own bag and slinging it over her shoulder. 

“Yeah. Yep. All set,” Zari stammered. 

Charlie winked at her and Ava was sure Zari was going to pass out. She nudged her friend forward and they all left the room together. As they walked, Zari chatted with Charlie about the new project she was working on. Charlie’s nickname of shapeshifter was also the reason everyone from all the gangs talked to her. She was a chameleon blending in with everyone easily. Ava wasn’t so lucky. She couldn’t help but notice the stares and whispers that followed her as they walked across campus to their next class. 

Gideon Pemberton was the furthest thing you would expect from a teacher at a school for future criminals and assassins. She was older, probably mid forties, bright eyes and was constantly smiling. They had all learned the hard way that past that smile was a ruthless woman when tested. Outside of the school she was known as the Shadow. Like Charlie she had a way of knowing everything that went on a daily basis and could integrate herself into any environment. 

“Good afternoon class,” Gideon smiled, perching on the edge of her desk. 

Ava slid into her seat at the back of the class next to Zari, slinking down when she saw the blonde and the lumbering idiot from earlier a few tables away. 

“Today we will learn the art of integration and teamwork. Although I know many of you like to work alone, sometimes you are required to work with a partner. With that being said you will be assigned a partner for the remainder of this class. If you hope to pass you will learn to trust them, who knows one day they could save your life.” 

An overly eager hand shot up at the front of the room. The class groaned as the Gary Green began to speak. Ava had only met him once before when he had ran into her on her second day at the academy. 

“Professor Pemberton, what were the metrics used to determine our partner?” He asked, anxiously looking over at a blonde haired boy slouching in the seat at next to him. 

“Partners were selected based on a simple metric Mr. Green. Whoever I chose,” Gideon quipped. 

She stood clapping her hands together as she picked up a piece of paper from her desk. 

“Partners are as followed. Once all pairings have been read please move to sit with your new best friend,” Gideon smiled, “Zari Tomaz and Charlie Sellers. Nathaniel Haywood and Mick Rory. Leonard Snart and Raymond Palmer. Gary Green and John Constantine.” 

As each of her friend’s names were called, dread sank further and further into Ava’s stomach. She shifted uncomfortably as the names continued, until finally…

“Finally Ava Sharpe and Sara Lance.” 

From across the room Ava could feel someone staring at her. She looked up into the bright blue eyes of the girl from the courtyard. Everyone began to move around and Ava watched as the girl crossed the room and sat down next to her where Zari once sat. 

“I’m Sara,” the smaller blonde said extending her hand. 

“Ava.” 

A tingle of heat shot down Ava’s spine as she shook Sara’s hand. Suddenly she began to feel uncomfortable and turned her attention back to Gideon who was talking about their first assignment. 

“Get to know your partner. You will have a quiz over the details of their lives tomorrow and believe me you don’t want to answer wrong.” 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone hates a pop quiz, but at this school quizzes can be deadly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it has been some time since I updated this story, and for that I apologize. I hope that I still have your support and your enjoy the latest chapter.

Ava breathed in deeply, indulging for the moment in the calm of the room around her. When Sara had invited her back to her room she had expected a dungeon filled with weapons. What she hadn’t expected was the simply decorated and almost homey room around her. Sara lived alone in a loft style room at the top of one of the towers. A cool breeze blew from the window facing the treeline at the edge of the property. The faint whistles of songbirds filtered into the window as Ava sank down deeper into the couch in the middle of the room surrounding a small coffee table. Sara had disappeared into the bathroom after making sure Ava was comfortable. If Ava strained she could hear the faint clatter of items in the bathroom. Instead she turned her attention to the small details around Sara’s room.

The bed was immaculately made with soft teal sheets and a small stuffed animal in the middle of the pillows. Pictures of her family were hung around the room and sat on various counters. On the small stand to the left of the couch was a picture from when Sara was little. In the photo was who Ava assumed to be Sara’s mother and father along with an older girl. However, Sara was unmistakable in the center of the picture sporting two pigtails and a bright smile missing a couple of teeth. In one corner was a rack filled with bo staffs of various lengths and a single green feathered arrow. Underneath was a small black safe that Ava assumed held firearms.

“See anything interesting,” Sara’s voice startled Ava as the smaller blonde reentered the room.

“Sorry. Just…your room wasn’t what I expected.”

“What? Did you expect a bunker?”

“Honestly…sort of.”

Sara laughed and it brough Ava up short. It was the greatest sound she had ever heard, not to mention the way Sara’s eyes lit up brighter blue when she laughed. For the first time Ava had to admit that Sara Lance was beautiful when she wasn’t attacking her. Sara sat down on the couch opposite from Ava and picked up the water bottle she had sat down earlier.

“We should get started,” Sara nodded.

“Right. What do you think Pemberton is going to ask us?” Ava frowned, pulling a notebook from her bag.

“Let’s start with the basics. Let’s play 21 questions.”

Ava swallowed hard, remembering that when she had played the game before things had a habit of turning weirdly personal. She attempted to cover her discomfort by fiddling with her bag under the guise of finding a pen. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder, Sara was standing over her a small smile on her face.

“I won’t make it weird. Promise.”

Ava nodded and pulled the pen out of her bag. Sara instead of returning to her own couch sat down next to Ava. They both paused for a moment, visually checking with each other that it was okay.

“Okay. First one’s easy. Favorite color.” Ava started.

“White,” Sara said without hesitation.

Ava quirked an eyebrow but made a note of it anyway.

“Mine is blue. Why white?”

“It’s symbolic. White is clean, pure, it reminds me of a clean slate and everyone needs one of those every once in a while.”

Sara stared off at the open window across the room for a moment to the sky beyond. A thin line of clouds raced across the sky, the sun sending shards of light across the bed as the clouds passed in front.

“I like blue because it reminds me that even though things change they still stay the same in some way,” Ava sighed, “the ocean can me tumultuous but it always calms. Storm clouds can block out the sun but if you go high enough you can always find blue sky. If I try hard enough, if I wait long enough, I can come out of my storms too.”

A loud crunch breaks Ava out of her thoughts. Sara smiles at her through a mouthful of pretzels as she hold out the bag to her.

“Sorry. That was really deep Sharpe. I’m not denying that, I was just hungry. Next question?”

Ava turned back to her notebook as she thought of the next question to ask.

“Hey, Ava….” Sara trailed off.

“Yeah.”

“Could we just talk? Maybe not write down what I say, it feels kind of clinical.” Sara swallowed.

Ava nodded and sat the notebook down, “Of course.”

Sara visibly relaxed and they spent the next ten minutes talking about their favorite things. Some answers earned sideways glances like Ava’s choice of frozen pizza over homemade. They laughed that they both shared the guilty pleasure of eating cereal out of obnoxiously large containers. She learned that Sara was a dancer and loved dogs, especially squishy faced ones.

“If everyone really hated Nickelback why does everyone know the lyrics to their songs?” Ava quipped back at Sara’s judging face.

“Well…” Sara was cut off by pounding on her door.

“Open the door, Sara,” Nyssa’s voice yelled from the other side of the door.

Sara immediately bolted to her feet and threw open the door. Nyssa Al-Ghul stood on the other side of the door with a devilish smirk on her lips.

“Nyssa is everything o…” Sara’s words were cut off as the dark-haired woman’s lips connected with hers.

Nyssa pushed Sara backward into the closest wall, her hand strayed to the smaller blonde’s hip as her other hand guided Sara’s hand above her head. Ava jumped to her feet and threw her things in her bag. Sara pushed Nyssa away from her and reached out to Ava with her palms open.

“I’m going to go,” Ava stammered as she bolted out the door.

“Ava, wait,” Sara called after her, but Ava was already headed down the stairs.

Curses spilled from her lips as she descended the stairs and burst out into the sun of the courtyard. Heads turned to face her as she practically ran across the space and down the wing that held her room. She clutched her bag to her chest as she ran, ignoring the call of her name that resounded behind her. Without hesitation she burst into her room and slammed the door behind her. A heavy breath escaped her lips as she finally stopped moving, the cold press of the door against her back helped her calm down.

When she finally opened her eyes she was met with the sight of Zari and Charlie at the kitchenette staring at her. Snacks were spilled across the counter and a large bowl of some layered concoction was in front of them both. Charlie quirked an eyebrow at her as Zari crossed the room.

“Ava, are you okay?” Zari asked, her gaze full of concern.

“Yeah. I’m fine. I’ll be in my room,” Ava blurted out just as there was a knock on the door.

“Ava?” Sara’s voice called from the other side, “let me explain.”

Ava shook her head profusely as she retreated into her room, leaving a confused Zari at the door. Charlie crossed the room and opened the door just as Sara was preparing to knock again.

“Hey, Charlie. I didn’t know you were Ava’s roommate.” Sara shifted nervously from side to side.

“Yeah. Is there something I can help you with?” Charlie said standing firm in the doorway.

Charlie hoped that she seemed more sure of herself than she felt. She had been told stories about Sara Lance, the enforcer of the League. The girl was deadly with any weapon that was placed into her hands and Charlie knew that a fight with Sara would be a losing one. But the girl in front of her did not seem like the deadly assassin she had been told about. The girl’s shoulders were slumped and there was a slight blush in her cheeks.

“I need to talk to Ava.”

“She’s not here.”

“I saw her come this way.”

“She’s not here Sara, but I’ll tell her you stopped by.”

Sara’s hand balled in a fist for a moment and Charlie prepared herself for the strike that never came. Just as quickly as the rage had filled Sara’s mind it dissipated.

“Okay. Will you tell her…tell her I’m sorry,” Sara sighed as she turned to go.

Once Sara was all the way down the hall, Charlie closed the door and immediately knocked on Ava’s door. Ava slowly opened the door and brushed past Charlie to sit on the couch.

“What the hell was that?” Charlie asked, intrigue twinkling in her eyes.

“We were doing Pemberton’s homework and Nyssa showed up,” Ava started.

Zari sat down on the couch next to Charlie, setting the bowl of whatever on the coffee table with a bag of chips.

“Continue,” Zari encouraged.

“She started kissing her and it was so awkward. I bolted.”

“Why?” Charlie asked.

“What do you mean why? Why would I stay and watch them make out?”

“Obviously they didn’t make out because Sara followed you here.” Zari pointed out.

“She also said sorry.” Charlie added.

Ava groaned and leaned over to scream into the pillow on the couch. Zari moved to sit next to her and gently pat her back. Ava sighed, closing her eyes, her mind flashing back to the way Nyssa had pushed Sara against the door. She shook her head, trying to rid her mind of the image. It wouldn’t leave so she excused herself to her room in the hopes of falling asleep. Like many times before the exhaustion that found constant purchase on her body finally pulled her into sleep.

_Teary blue eyes._

_Rain soaked hair._

_A glint of silver._

“NO!” Ava woke up screaming, her chest heaving.

Charlie burst through the door, a knife drawn and her hair wild. Their eyes met and both of them visibly relaxed.

“Nightmare?” Charlie asked simply.

“No. Courtyard.”

“Scoot over,” Charlie said pushing Ava to the side so she could slide under the covers.

Ava opened her mouth to speak, but decided against it. This had happened before when she had nightmares. Charlie would crawl into bed with her to keep the nightmares at bay. Ava didn’t have the heat to tell her that the nightmares still came, but it was nice to not be alone when she woke up from them. A few moments later the only sound that filled the room were Charlie’s soft snores. Ava tried to focus on them as she drifted back to sleep. Despite Charlie’s presence the nightmares came again.

_A sliver of light coming from the hallway, illuminating the toys on the floor. She watched it through the wooden slats of her closet. She wanted to reach out and grab her doll that was just outside the closet door where she hid. No. Daddy said stay put. Stay quiet. Stay hidden. Wait._

_The light disappeared as someone stepped into her room. Heavy footsteps on the carpet. The comforter was flung across the room, followed by the pillows. The toys on the floor were next, kicked across the room including the doll that she wanted to hold so she wouldn’t be alone as the bad men looked for her. The boots came closer. The man dressed in black was just outside the door. She covered her mouth, tried not to breath loudly. The man still reached for the handle._

“The time is not 8:30 am,” Ava’s alarm clock began to chime, ripping her from the nightmare. Charlie groaned and pulled the covers over her head.

Ava reached over and turned off the alarm before pulling the covers away from Charlie’s head.

“Come on, we don’t want to be late for Pemberton’s class,” Ava laughed.

Charlie rolled out of bed and trudged to her room. Ava made her way into her bathroom to prepare for the day. After a skin-melting hot shower she threw on a pair of jeans and a tshirt. Before leaving with Charlie she threw on her leather jacket that had become almost a second skin.

As they stepped into the courtyard, they noticed their class gathered there. Gideon stood at the edge with Professor Rip Hunter and Savage. Rip was the firearms teacher for the upper classmen, and he and Gideon were rumored to be a couple. Ava looked around the courtyard finding Sara in the crowd. With a deep breath and a rushed goodbye to Charlie she made her way over to the smaller blonde.

“Hey,” Ava whispered.

Sara turned from her conversation and smiled. She excused herself from the conversation and stepped away with Ava.

“Hey. I just want to say sor…” Sara started, but Ava stopped her with a hand.

“Don’t apologize for being surprised by your girlfriend.”

“Nyssa is…”

“I thought I heard my name,” Nyssa said striding over to them.

Ava unconsciously took a step back as the girl joined them. Nyssa leaned over and whispered something in Sara’s ear making the small blonde frown. Sara nodded once and Nyssa walked away, but not before shooting a death glare in Ava’s direction.

“Look Ava, Nyssa and I,” Sara started again.

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”

“I know, but I want to. She and I.”

“Attention class,” Gideon’s voice broke through the chatter of students.

Sara sighed heavily and turned her attention to Gideon. The professor had a bright smile on her face as the rest of the class turned to face her.

“Now that I have your attention, I would like to tell you about the quiz today. It is no ordinary test. Instead you and your partner will go through a gauntlet together. It is designed to test your strengths, weaknesses and see how far you are willing to go to protect each other. For some it will strengthen the bonds of your partnership which will help you in the remainder of the class, but for others it will sever the freshly woven threads of trust you have created. Shall we get started?”

With a nod she turns to Rip who reveals a table of weapons, ranging from knives to firearms. Vandal reveals a similar table as well before taking a step back a sick grin on his face as his eyes met Ava’s.

“The quiz is simple enough, you and your partner will go through a gauntlet that we have set up for you. You will need to rely on each other to make it through. At various markers in the gauntlet you can answer basic questions to receive additional ammo and advantages. Please come select a starting weapon.”

Chatter arose from the group as everyone began to discuss their strategies. Sara pulled Ava to the side out of earshot of everyone else, her voice barely a whisper.

“It can’t be that easy­‑can it?” Sara whispered, watching as students selected their weapons.

“No way. Who knows what is inside that gauntlet.”

“You’re right. Stay alert. What about our weapon choice?”

“Knives are easier to conceal.”

“Yeah, but firearms have better range.”

“Only if you don’t know how to throw them,” Sara teased, remembering Ava telling her about her shortcomings with knives and bo staffs.

“So knives?”

“No. Let’s go firearms. Don’t take this wrong but I can work with whatever. I want you to feel on top of your game.”

Ava nodded and stepped away from Sara to retrieve one of the guns from the table. She chose one with a jet-black silencer, sliding it into the holster she kept against her lower back. As she stepped away, they covered the table since she was the last to select a weapon. Afterwards Gideon began to walk towards the side gates. They followed her down a pathway behind the campus. Suddenly a massive network of buildings to create a miniature city sprung up in front of them. Standing just outside the gates of the city were some of the upperclassman. Nyssa stood among them, her eyes immediately locking onto Ava. Each of them had rifles slung across their back while others were obviously sporting brass knuckles or twirling knives. Rip and Savage both shouldered weapons of their own and with a nod from Gideon they all disappeared into the maze of the city beyond the gates.

“Good luck,” Gideon smiled as she stepped aside.

Shouts rang out behind the group. Ava turned to see another group of upperclassmen charging down the path towards them, a red laser scanned up her body.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The test has begun, will Ava and Sara find a way to pass?

Seconds later Sara’s body collided into hers hard. Dust burst around them as bullets rained down around them. In the next second Ava was being hoisted to her feet. She recovered quickly and raced after Sara, following in the footsteps of the smaller blonde as she weaved through their classmates and past the gates of the city. Once inside the gates, Ava’s gaze immediately darted upward to the towers overhead. Something glinted against the sunlight peaking through the clouds. Ava pushed Sara into the shadow of a nearby building just as a projectile slammed into the ground where they once stood. An onslaught of more projectiles rained down on either side of the tower where they were hiding, and Ava pressed herself closer to Sara to shield the smaller blonde from the shrapnel as dust kicked up around them.

After what felt like an eternity the dust settled and Ava looked down to check on Sara. It was then she noticed how close they were standing, that space was almost non-existent between them and that if she leaned forward just a fraction she could plant a kiss to the forehead crinkled in concentration. The last realization made Ava recoil as if burned, Sara’s gaze immediately filled with concern.

“Are you okay?” Sara questioned, her voice cutting through the silence that surrounded them.

“Yeah. I’m okay. We should get moving.”

Sara nodded and peeked from around the corner of the tower. She closed her eyes and inhaled slowly before letting the breath out just as carefully. Ava watched curious to what Sara was doing, but knowing by now not to interrupt.

“The smell of gunpowder is stronger to our North and East,” Sara said, opening her eyes again.

“So we head that way. It’s heavily guarded so that must be the way out,” Ava rationalized.

“Unless…” 

“Pemberton wanted us to make the obvious conclusion and the exit is really to the West.”

“Only one way to find out.”

Ava nodded and pulled the gun from her waist. Sara reached down to her boot and pulled out a thin throwing knife. The snort that fell from Ava’s lips was involuntary. One thing she had learned about Sara Lance was that she was always ready.

The two of them made their way west in the city, being careful to check the rooftops and buildings as they went. Footprints slowly fading in the wind were the only indication that some of their classmates had been there. An upperclassman stepped from around a nearby building, the red laser sight on his gun settled between Ava’s eyes.

“Drop the weapon,” he yelled at Sara, nodding to the knife in her hand.

Sara flipped the knife between her fingers and slowly sank to her knees to place it on the ground. It only took a fraction of a second for the boy to look away and Ava raised her gun and fired. A bright red burst of dye exploded across his face. He dropped his gun, trying to wipe the fake blood away. Sara scooped it up quickly and they continued on their way. They walked in silence for a little while before stopping to take a break. The sun sat high above the makeshift city, causing the leather jacket Ava was wearing to stick to her skin. She wiped away sweat from her brow as she leaned against the wall of a dilapidated building. The ground around them had long ago morphed into cobblestone instead of the suffocating brown dirt from earlier. They hadn’t encountered any students since the upperclassman from before. Sara paced back and forth like a caged animal, as Ava rested.

“We should have found the exit by now. Where did I go wrong?” Sara hissed.

“Hey, we’re in this together. We just have to keep going.”

“Oh thanks a lot Aves. I didn’t realize I had to just keep going.”

“Aves?”

“The nickname would be the thing you fixate on. Ava we are lost and we’re going to fail this assignment and unlike you I don’t have some cushy home to go back to,” Sara snapped, her eyes blazing with anger when she turned towards Ava.

“What are you talking about?” Ava frowned, her mind going back to the two bedroom apartment and alcoholic father that made up her home.

“You don’t have to lie to me. I know who you are. Why you saved me in the courtyard that night. All for daddy’s gain, right. Save the police chief’s daughter and all of daddy’s problems go away.”

“Police chief’s daughter?”

“That’s all anyone ever wants from me. A pass for their family.”

Ava opened her mouth to speak but froze when the sound of boots on cobblestone reached her ears. She jumped to her feet and grabbed Sara around the waist dragging her back into the shadows of the building. Sara’s boot kicked out behind her sending Ava to the ground, gritting her teeth against the pain. Sara’s eyes were wild with rage as she turned on Ava, but Ava simply motioned for her to listen. The smaller blonde froze, her ears registering the approaching danger for the first time. Ava slid backward to fully hide in the shadows and Sara sank down next to her. They slowed their breathing, trying to focus on the sound and determine where it was coming from. Ava’s fingers went to the holster on her side as Sara’s did the same. The footsteps grew closer and Ava strained to focus. The sound seemed to be coming from everywhere, resounding off the buildings and entombing her in the building. She wiped her palm against her pants, not realizing she was repeating the motion over and over until Sara grabbed her hand.

“I’m sorry,” Sara whispered.

“It’s okay,” Ava nodded.

Suddenly the footsteps stopped completely. They paused, the only sounds around them were the soft whistle of wind through cracks in the crumbling bricks. Then they heard it, the click of guns and soft boots making their way through the dust. Ava’s grip tightened on the gun at her side realizing that the sound seemed to come from everywhere because it was coming from everywhere. They were surrounded with no way to escape. Sara pressed her back to Ava’s and drew her gun. They waited together even as the boots picked up pace and the first armor clad assailant burst into the building. Both of them fired off round after round even though they knew it was hopeless and they were outnumbered. When the blanks ran out they began to fight hand to hand with their assailants. Sara kicked a man’s legs from underneath him, giving Ava time to knock him unconscious. Ava slapped her neck the familiar sting of a needle causing the involuntary action. The world around her began to sway, and the floor rushed up to meet her. The final thing she saw before the world went dark was Sara collapsing to the floor and reaching towards her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The test is still underway. Will Sara and Ava pass, or at least survive?

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

_The faucet in the kitchen constantly dripped despite every effort to tighten the values or fix the plumbing underneath. Normally Ava could ignore the sound and drown it out by opening her bedroom window and letting the sounds of the city flood in. But now it was the only sound she could hear, the only sound amidst the silence that entombed her. She struggled against the duct tape that pressed against her skin, pulling at the tiny hairs along her arms. Across from her the digital clock on the table showed 4:59. Only one minute left to escape._

_She had been tied up since the morning, woken up by a swift slap to the face. When she awoke she was already in the chair in the middle of the living room._

_“You have until I get home to get out,” he growled as he turned and walked out of the front door._

_That had been hours ago. By now her stomach was growling profusely and the constant struggle to get out of the chair had worn her out. The sound of keys just outside the apartment door felt like a punch to the gut. Ava rocked the chair as hard as she could, trying to get it to tip over, to break like she had done for so many hours before. In a final effort as the front door began to open, she used her remaining strength to push backwards, sending the chair crashing to the ground…it didn’t break._

_Seconds later her father’s face loomed over her, his eyes illuminated by the end of the cigarette hanging from his mouth. He blew the smoke out into her face, making her eyes water and sending her into a coughing fit._

_“This is going to hurt you more,” he said, putting out the cigarette against Ava’s collarbone._

_He stood back up and a boot filled Ava’s vision._

“NO!” the scream ripped from Ava’s chest as her eyes flew open to an abandoned building.

Her chest heaved as she tried to calm herself. It was a just a dream, a flashback. She wasn’t at that apartment anymore. She was at school, they were in the middle of a test. As her breathing slowed, she scanned to take in her surroundings.

First she looked down at herself, wiggling her extremities to check for any injury. Aside from the chains holding her fast to the chair she was fine.

Sara was seated across from her, the smaller blonde was still slumped forward unconscious. Ropes held her tight against a metal chair, wrapping around her small frame like a python. Curiosity peaked in Ava’s mind. Why was Sara tied with ropes, but she was being held down by chains. Other than the ropes Sara seemed unscathed. The only light in the room came from a single window behind Sara’s chair, and a single light somewhere behind her. The moonlight sliced through the otherwise darkened room, illuminating the two women and a silver basin on the floor. Ava tried to turn more to take in the rest of the room, but from where she was sitting she couldn’t see anything more.

“Sara,” Ava whispered, as she tried to scoot her chair across the floor. The chains made it difficult but she was able to move a few inches.

The rattling of the chains caused Sara to stir a little. Ava rocked as hard as she could to make the chains rattle against each other. Suddenly Sara’s head bolted up, her bright blue eyes wild as her gaze met Ava’s. Just as Ava had done moments before Sara’s gaze darted around the room to take in their surroundings.

“Are you okay?” Sara asked, her eyes scanning over Ava to check for injuries.

“Yeah, you?” Ava replied.

“I’m okay. Where are we?”

“I’m not sure. Is this still part of the test?”

Sara shrugged and began to twist her body in the chair. The ropes didn’t budge and she settled once again. Ava and Sara’s gaze locked as they both heard footfalls approaching. Sara watched as the metal door behind Ava slammed open and four men carrying machine guns entered the room. Ava watched Sara’s expression change from indifference to happiness? The men stood on either side of the two women, their guns at the ready to fire if either of them dared make a move.

“You did well until now, but the final part of this test has broken those much stronger than you,” Vandal Savage said joining the armed men.

He was wearing a sickening grin on his face as he motioned for one of the men to grab something from the hall. Ava turned as far as she could to see, but seconds later a fist connected with her cheek, sending her head reeling and blood rushing down her throat. Pain flared through her nose as she blinked away the tears that sprung to her eyes. Her gaze connected with Savage as he smiled at her before taking the offered instrument from the guard who had just returned.

“It’s very simple really. Allow me to demonstrate,” he laughed as he connected a cable to one of the chains around Ava’s arms.

Ava’s back arched upward as electricity coursed through her body. The shock of it caused her jaw to clench down hard, sealing her mouth so she couldn’t scream. After what felt like an eternity the electricity subsided and Ava gasped out a breath. When she was able to focus again, she could see that while they were electrocuting her they had wrestled Sara from her chair and she was now kneeling next to the basin. One of the guards was holding his side, his breath labored from what Ava assumed to be a broken rib. Without warning Sara’s face was thrust down into the bucket. Bubbled poured up from the basin as the smaller blonde struggled against the men holding her down.

“Stop! You’re going to kill her!” Ava screamed.

Vandal nodded and Sara was pulled up from the basin gasping for air. Shivers raced down her body as she tried to breath normally. Ava had seen that look in her eyes before, the night in the courtyard. The hopelessness and fear was evident in her eyes as they locked with Ava’s.

“I will torture one of you until the other begs me to stop. Then I will torture them, and the cycle continues until I get the information I want, or one of you gives up,” Vandal sneered.

“What information would that be?” Ava spat.

“Simple really. What’s are you favorite colors?”

Ava and Sara frowned, staring at each other for a moment. This absurd test had come down to something as simple as this, but they both knew that it was anything but simple. This test hadn’t been about getting to know each other at all. It was a test of loyalty to your partner, and both of them were sure that if they told they would be kicked out the academy.

“Do your worst,” Sara snarled.

Immediately her head was dunked into the basin of water and just as quickly Ava cried out for them to stop, her body arching up from the electricity with her next breath. She gritted her teeth against the pain, focusing on the window on the other side of the room. Seconds ticked by but it felt like minutes. The pain continued to thread its way through her veins, until darkness clouded her vision.

“Ava,” Sara’s harsh whisper broke through the fog of Ava’s mind.

“Sara,” Ava groaned, immediately feeling her muscles revolt as she lifted her head.

“Easy, you’re okay.”

Ava sighed and turned her cheek into Sara’s hand that came up to cup her cheek. The smaller blonde’s cool fingers were welcome to the flush of heat that seemed to race over her skin. Sara was touching her…that meant. Ava’s eyes flew open to take in their surroundings. They were still in the warehouse but Sara was free from her chair and crouched down in front of her. Daylight peeked through the window behind her, illuminating her still drying hair in a golden aura.

“How did you get free?” Ava whispered.

“I keep a few knives on me at all times. I just needed an opportunity to use one, and you gave me that when you passed out,” Sara said as she worked at the lock holding Ava’s chains in place.

Ava sighed as the weight from the chains began to loosen from around her shoulders and body, eventually she felt them sliding off to the floor where Sara tried to ease them down to the floor to make less noise. She helped her stand and looked her over for other signs of injury.

“I’m sorry,” Sara said Staring down at her feet for a moment, refusing to meet Ava’s gaze.

“Don’t. You already told me about the boat incident. I’m not afraid of electricity. My father did way worse,” Ava reassured smiling softly.

A loud bang resounded near the door where the men had come from the night before. Ava and Sara quickly made their way over to the side of the door and waited. Footfalls were heard approaching along the corridor. They exchanged a quick glance and Sara settled into position at the door. Ava stepped in front of it, causing the guard on the other side to pause for a moment. Despite the hesitation he then opened the door his gun at the ready.

“How…”

His words were cut off as Sara’s kick connected with his knee sending him to the ground. Ava kicked his wrist causing him to drop the gun. She picked it up and Sara delivered a final blow to the back of his head, his body crumpling to the ground.

“Ready?” Sara asked.

“Yeah, you take point. I don’t trust my shot right now,” Ava admitted, handing the gun over to Sara.

Sara nodded, gave Ava her knife and began making their way down the hallway. Their footsteps resounded around the hallways entombing them in the sound. They paused a moment, took off their shoes and continued on their way in silence. Ava tried to focus on her breathing and ignore the trembles running through her body as her adrenaline surged. Ahead of her Sara made her way around the corners of the dimly lit corridors. The sound of voices ahead of them, coupled with noticing the sliver of light from a doorway up ahead alerted her to the presence of more guards. She looked back to Ava who simply nodded, having noticed the same thing.

“I’ll go ahead and check it out. You stay here,” Sara whispered.

Ava nodded, gratefully sinking down to sit for a moment and try to refocus her breathing. She watched as Sara made her way around the corner towards the open door in the middle of the hall. The smaller blonde carefully leaned around the doorway, noticing to guards asleep in front of a set of monitors. On screen she saw herself and Ava. Other than that no one else showed on the screens. As quickly and quietly as she could Sara returned to Ava who was sitting with her eyes closed.

“Hey. Are you okay?” Sara whispered, noticing that trembling she had seen earlier had gotten worse.

“Yeah. Let’s just get out of here.”

Sara helped Ava stand after she failed to do so on her own. When Ava still couldn’t keep her balance, Sara wrapped an arm around her waist. Ava winced but accepted the help. They made their way with confidence down the hallways as Sara had pieced together the way from the surveillance cameras. A sunlit doorway greeted them a few feet up ahead. They paused for a moment before continuing forward, out of the door and into a massive courtyard. Down the path that lay in front of them were red markers in the trees. Both of them knew that those markers meant the test would be over if they could reach them.

“I can manage. Let’s just get out of here,” Ava reassured.

Sara let go of her waist as they made their way through the courtyard. The heat of the noonday sun beat down and set the ground ablaze in heat. Ava continued forward, focusing on the burn of the stone against her bare feet and Sara’s blonde hair a few paces ahead. Her vision began to fade and she felt herself stumbling even before Sara turned to help her. Instead of the smaller blonde helping her to her feet she raised the gun in her hand. Ava turned right into the waiting arms of Vandal Savage.

“You didn’t think it would be that easy did you, rat,” Vandal sneered before grabbing Ava by the throat and slamming her to the ground.

Ava’s vision flooded with spots as she struggled against Vandal’s relentless grip. She could hear grunts a few feet away as Sara undoubtedly fought with the other guards.

“Your father was too ambitious too,” Vandal spat, his face only a few inches from Ava’s.

Darkness flooded into Ava’s vision, her body grew weaker with each passing second. Was this how it would end? Is this what her life was destined to be? Tortured her entire childhood and now strangled by a teacher at a school for criminals…No.

No.

NO!

Anger surged through Ava’s veins. Anger towards her father, this school, the people that she barely knew, and especially Vandal Savage. With one final burst of strength Ava launched forward, headbutting Vandal and sending him reeling. She stood quickly, kicking him hard in the ribs. Immediately after she shoved him over onto his back and began punching him with every ounce of strength she could muster. With each punch more blood pooled from his nose and mouth. His face changed and morphed into that of her father’s and she continued to rain down punch after punch.

Sara kicked the final guard she was fighting in the face and turned to help Ava. When she did she turned to see Ava beating Vandal Savage. The taller blonde’s hands were bloody, and Vandal was clearly unconscious, but Ava’s mind was somewhere else. Sara raced over to her and dragged Ava away from him. Ava whipped around, her eyes wild with rage. Sara was taken aback for a moment before stepping into Ava’s space and gripping her head in her hands.

“You’re okay, but we need to go,” Sara said calmer than she felt.

Ava only nodded and blindly followed Sara out of the courtyard and into the clearing. The grass beneath their feet was cool in comparison to the hot stones in the courtyard. A gently breeze danced its way through the trees as they made their way towards the markers in the distance. Neither one of them spoke as they scanned the treeline for threats. Ava felt her body slowly relaxing again, but in doing so the darkness came flooding back momentarily. This time Sara was closer and gripped her around the waist. They made their way to the markers in the trees. Just as they passed the line a group of upperclassmen including Nyssa Al Ghul stepped from the trees.

“Group seven passed,” Nyssa said into a radio, “requesting medical assistance to marker fourteen.”

Sara eased Ava onto the ground and sat down next to her, her chest heaving. Ava’s vision continued to flicker in and out. She tried to stay conscious by focusing on Sara instead. The smaller blonde hadn’t come out of this test unscathed. There were several cuts racing along her arms, noticeable bruises dotted her neck and her left eye was beginning to swell shut. Nyssa handed Sara a bottle of water and crouched down to her, gently stroking the purpling skin around the smaller blonde’s eye.

“Are you alright, beloved?” Nyssa asked, her brow furrowed.

“I…Ava?” Sara’s voice sounded distant in Ava’s head, like she was speaking from miles away or down a well.

Ava tried to respond but couldn’t formulate a sentence. The flickers of darkness all began to pool in her vision. The sky above them filled her vision, her body relaxing into the dampened grass where they sat. A canopy of trees swaying in the breeze. Bright blue eyes. Freckles on purpling skin.

“Ava?”

Darkness.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The test is over, but the school year is just beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: Abuse

The smell of disinfectant and plastic assaulted Ava’s nose as her eyes flickered open. A set of bright blue eyes were the first thing that came flooding into her vision. An involuntary groan pulled from Ava’s lips as she tried to sit up.

“Easy,” Sara cautioned, helping Ava sit up.

Ava’s hand came up to the back of her head, feeling the thin bandage at the base of her head. Aside from the larger bandage on her head, her arms were wrapped loosely in gauze. An IV protruded from her hand which she followed over to the bag dripping next to her bed. She felt a little groggy but whatever they were giving her had settled the tremors from before. After taking in the surrounding of the hospital wing of the school, Ava looked Sara over. The only noticeable marks on her was the black eye that was beginning to heal and a line of thin blue stitches along her hairline.

“Are you okay?” Ava asked, clearing her throat when she heard her raspy voice.

“I’m okay. I’m glad you’re awake,” Sara replied handing Ava cup of ice water from the stand next to the bed.

“How long have I been out?” Ava gratefully took the cup and took a long slow sip.

The cold water helped to steady the thousands of thoughts that ran through her brain. All of the memories came back in a rush. Being electrocuted. The fight with Vandal. Passing out once the test was over. Being in and out of consciousness for the past couple of days. Flashes of her friends at her bedside.

“Three days. I was worried,” Sara admitted, then withdrew as if she had said the wrong thing.

“I’m fine,” Ava smiled.

“Yeah. Well this isn’t like other schools. I need you to pass Pemberton’s class. I don’t get an A if you die Sharpe.”

Ava snorted, coughing profusely immediately afterward. Sara smiled back at her for a moment before handing Ava a stack of paper. A smile broke across Ava’s face seeing the handwriting of Charlie, Zari, and Ray on multiple get well notes to her.

“I don’t see any from you in here.” Ava teased.

“Yeah. Well I’ve been here by your side.”

“I bet Nyssa isn’t a fan of that.”

Sara frowned. She stood quickly and took a few steps away from Ava before turning around and running a hand through her hair. The smaller blonde’s fists curled at her side for a moment, but she called herself with a steady breath.

“What does that mean?” Sara retorted, her anger lingering at the surface.

“Nothing. It’s just obvious that you two.”

“I don’t have anything with Nyssa Al Ghul…Not anymore.”

“Sara I’m sorry.”

“Boss,” the deep voice of the larger boy that was always at Sara’s side caused them both to stop short.

He lumbered around the corner, nodding once to Ava before turning to Sara. His expression was stoic as if chiseled from stone. Sara’s shoulders relaxed as she put her hands in her back pockets and turned to the larger man.

“What is it Mick?” Sara asked.

“We need to go. The League meeting is starting soon.”

“Right,” Sara nodded, “give me a minute.”

Mick nodded once more to Sara then walked away to give them privacy. The two women stayed in silence for a moment, neither one knowing what to say to appease the racing thoughts of the other. Ava turned to look out the window in the far corner, sunlight silhouetted the panes and the sky just outside was bright blue. She could feel Sara fidgeting at the end of the bed, but she was just as unsure of what to say next. The weight shifted completely as Sara stood up and shrugged on her jacket. Ava’s gaze met hers and Sara simply nodded before walking away to join Mick. Anger surged for a moment through Ava’s veins. She gripped at the IV in her hand, immediately recoiling at the pain that shot through her arm.

“Real life isn’t like the movies, Sharpe,” Gideon’s voice cut across the room as she came into view.

Gideon was dressed…well normally in comparison to the impeccable attire she usually wore to class. Her hair was up in ponytail and in her hand she was carrying a set of notebooks. She sat them down on the bed and pulled up chair to Ava’s bedside. Ava just stared at her in confusion as the woman collected materials from the chest next to the bed and reached for her hand.

“Don’t worry. I’ve done this plenty of times,” Gideon reassured as she turned off and removed the IV.

Once the needle was gone, Ava flexed her hand and sat up straighter. Her gaze was drawn to the notebooks on the bed. They were unassuming on the outside, no different from the ones that she carried for class. Tentatively she reached out for one of them and when Gideon didn’t stop her she picked the top one up and opened it.

**The Psychology of Power**

Ava flipped through the book of handwritten observations focused on the art of manipulation and its use to obtain power. The handwriting was steady and swept like calligraphy across the page. She recognized it immediately.

“These are yours,” Ava stated, closing the notebook and picking up another.

“Yes.” Gideon smiled as she stood and pushed the chair away.

“Why?”

“Consider it a gift and a secret,” Gideon said as she walked away, “one rat to another.”

The gravity of Gideon’s words hit Ava like a brick. When she had first arrived at the academy she was told multiple times that rats never survived. They were hunted down and weeded out the like the vermin they were. Gideon was powerful, respected, and even feared by the League and other gangs. Had she really made it through school without allying herself with one group? Ava was pulled out of her thoughts by the nurse arriving with a bag containing Ava’s clothes. The nurse left her alone to change and Ava quickly stripped out of the loose hospital wear and into her own clothes. She was about to stuff the worn clothes into the bag when she noticed a note at the bottom. The paper was solid black with no noticeable writing on it. She turned it over in her hands but no writing was on either side. Shrugging, she pushed the card into the back of her jeans and made her way out of the infirmary towards her dorm.

From the way the light flickered in and out of the windows of the corridors, Ava could tell it was around noon. Nearly everyone was in class at the moment, and only a few upperclassmen raced back and forth along the halls. She kept her head down as she made her way across the school towards the tower of her room. Once there she knew she wanted to take the hottest shower imaginable and sleep for a little longer before having to deal with Charlie and her questions. As she walked she could feel the stares of a couple students dart in her direction then away. In front of her the hallway spilled out into the courtyard and she paused to enjoy the warmth of the sun on her face. Except for her the courtyard was empty and for once she felt truly alone. In a literal sense she was alone most days as an outcast, but to be able to enjoy the sun and the quiet of the day was an indulgence that she couldn’t pass on. She sat down on the low brick wall of the small fountain in the corner of the courtyard and closed her eyes.

_Warmth spread across her face as the sun hung high overhead. The soft chirps of birds in the treetops nearby drifted to her ears. A contented sigh spilled past her lips as Ava stretched out her fingers to pass through the grass beneath her. She heard the footsteps of the woman slowly approaching her, but she stayed still and breathed in the crisp spring air. Fingertips brushed Ava’s as the woman laid down next to her and stared up at the sky._

_“What are we looking at today,” she said, a contented sigh blowing past her lips._

_“Stratus clouds,” Ava responded, sliding closer to the older woman._

_“You are so smart. Are you sure you’re my kid?”_

_Laughter spilled from Ava’s lips as she continued to watch the clouds slowly drifting overhead. They indulged in the quiet around them as a soft breeze skittered across the ground, the blades of grass tickling their fingers. Ava chanced a glance to the woman next to her, her heart sinking when she saw the mask. She missed the days when close contact with her mother wasn’t so limited in the hopes of slowing and stopping the thief that ravaged the woman’s body. Ava sat up and noticed the bag on the steps, it was time for another chemo treatment. A pang of guilt raced through her at the momentary joy these days brought her. While her mom was having her treatment, her dad would take her to get fries and milkshakes and they would sit next to the duck pond and forget the world for a little while. They could forget the coldness of the chemo room and the silence. They could forget the screams of pain. They could forget the late nights and early mornings where they were awoken from their sleep by the sound of retching in the bathroom or the thud of a weakened body failing to go down the steps. For the next couple hours they were free._

A cacophony of voices reached Ava’s ears. How long had she been sitting here? Long enough for class to be over, since the courtyard was slowly filling with students chattering about their lessons and plans for the night. As quickly as she could she stood up and made her way through the crowd towards her room. She made it without anyone stopping her and once inside made a beeline for her bathroom, ignoring Charlie’s excited face that stared back from the kitchen. She stripped out of her clothes and stepped into the shower with the water on full blast. An involuntary hiss escaped as she gritted her teeth against the pain of the hot water hitting her bruised body. She stayed that way until the water was almost cold, then gently washed her hair, breathing in the eucalyptus and lavender in her shampoo that helped calm her on the worst days.

When she stepped out of the shower she froze. Until this moment she had been unaware of the amount of damage that had been done to her body. The gauze that was once wrapped around her arms hung limp and soaked with water. She peeled them back, revealing the lines of pink blistering skin in the same shape as the chains that had held her to the chair. They were raised and angry from the hot water in the shower. Carefully she placed them under cool water, the pain immediately subsiding to a dull ache. Once both her arms were soaked, she pulled the first aid kit from the cabinet and rebandaged her arms as best she could. Next she turned her attention to the wound on her head. She replaced the bandage there as well, her fingers gingerly tracing the thin line of stitches. Afterward she simply stared into the mirror at the small bruises peppering her body, the angry bruise on her left side, and a cut just below her collarbone. Her eyes drifted down to the cut running across her abdomen. It wasn’t new but she couldn’t help but notice it whenever she took her shirt off.

After her shower, Ava collapsed onto her bed and fell into a restless sleep.

_Ava’s breaths came out in pants as she dragged herself across the floor towards the phone in the living room. Shards of glass fell from her hair like glitter as she moved down the hall. Crashes resounded from her bedroom as he continued to rip and tear through her room despite her absence. A stifled whimper broke through as she pushed herself up onto her knees and then stood, reaching a bloodied hand towards the phone. Pain spread through her shoulder and she collapsed onto the ground. The phone clattered onto the ground next to her, and she lunged for it. Firm hands gripped around her ankles, and dragged her back to her room. Even though she knew it was pointless she screamed anyway. Fire spread through her chest and up her throat as she continued to scream. A cloth came up to cover her mouth, the smell of chloroform that she had grown to know in the past week filled her nostrils. Just before she passed out she felt the searing pain of the knife against her abdomen once more. This pain, this torture was the penance for her new found freedom._

Before she was fully awake she could feel that someone was in the room with her. Her eyes opened to Charlie standing a few feet away. Something hit her in the face and she frowned as Charlie continued to pelt her with more of the items. Ava sat up shielding her face from the onslaught of…popcorn.

“Glad to see you back in the land of the living,” Charlie laughed, sitting on the edge of Ava’s bed.

“You’re cleaning all this popcorn up,” Ava replied, plucking a few kernels from the bowl and flicking them at her roommate.

“Of course.”

Silence hung heavy in the air for a moment and Ava watched Charlie’s gaze dart over to her for a moment then look away. She could tell the girl was checking our her injuries and for a second Ava cursed herself for only putting on a tank top.

“I’m fine, Charlie.” Ava reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“I’m glad.”

Ava could see the exhaustion in her roommate’s eyes. There was no way that anyone had come out of the test unscathed but Ava had a feeling Vandal went especially rough on her. Charlie stayed for a little bit and talked about how her and Zari had made it through the test. They had managed to evade nearly all the upperclassman and only ran into trouble in the last leg. Zari had twisted her ankle but otherwise they were okay. Charlie’s eyes lit up as she talked about the hacker and Ava couldn’t wait to tease her mercilessly about it. They sat and talked for hours, laughing about Ray still trying to pretend that him and Nora weren’t an item.

Later that night Ava lay in bed staring up at the ceiling. She had spent the rest of the day catching up on the written schoolwork that Charlie had brought back to the room for her. Most of it she finished quickly but reading some of Gideon’s journals distracted her for a few hours. The one that caught her attention was about manipulation techniques for each of the other gangs. Sleep found her hours later, but as she drifted off a shadow crossed into her vision. Before she could move a hand clamped down around her mouth.

“It’s me. We need to talk,” Sara’s voice cut through the darkness.


End file.
